


lost in the woods, lost in you

by Salty_Cro



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Cold Weather, Duck Has Cool Ranger Skills, Hypothermia, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore, Sharing Body Heat, The Adventure Zone: Amnesty (Podcast) - Freeform, Wilderness Survival, not quite but almost, there was only one blanket
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 06:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17617313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salty_Cro/pseuds/Salty_Cro
Summary: How's the abomination hunt going, Duck and Indrid? Pretty good, it doesn't seem!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> on the surface this may look like a fanservice cuddling fic, but really it's me flexing my survival training knowledge lmao anyway this'll be a couple chapters, and i promise i am also working on HANR

Everything was going wrong.

 

The abomination had been out for almost two weeks, so it was able to go beyond the original radius. The latest Pine Guard meeting voluntold Duck and Indrid to do a scouting mission. They were supposed to do a quick look-around along the Eastwood Trail, a few miles south of Eastwood Campgrounds. The decision made sense from a tactical perspective; Duck had some knowledge of the area and Indrid had knowledge of basically everything else.

 

The trip had started out pretty innocuously. Duck took his Forest Service truck down to Indrid’s camper and picked him up. Indrid didn’t seem particularly pleased about being roped into such a physical role in the hunt. He didn’t take it out on Duck, thankfully. They drove down to the trailhead that was closest to where the monster was last spotted.

 

After a quick review of the marked-up map, Duck figured out the way to go. They walked about a quarter-mile into the trail. From there, Duck had led Indrid off the path and up a hill that would give them a good vantage point. Indrid had said it might not be the best idea, but he didn’t have a better one. They stood there for a good ten minutes doing absolutely nothing, and then Duck heard a deep growl somewhere in the distance.

 

That was when things started going south, figuratively and literally.

 

The abomination locked onto them before they even saw it. It was a gruesome centaur-adjacent creature with no distinct head, made of thick gravel and sinister red light. It was big, maybe eight feet tall on four legs. It had huge claws and teeth made of jagged obsidian. And of course, it was much faster than its rocky form would suggest. Naturally, Duck and Indrid took off when they saw it.

 

Again, literally.

 

Indrid ripped his glasses off and grabbed Duck under the arms, taking to the sky. The beast reared up and slashed at Indrid’s lower left wing. Duck heard a terrible sound like fabric ripping and then Indrid shrieking in pain. Indrid’s second set of arms tightened around Duck’s waist. Duck clung to Indrid’s fuzzy shoulders and they flew lopsidedly away from the scene.

 

Duck stayed quiet while Indrid strained to keep them in the air. He knew talking would make things harder, and he already felt bad. Indrid was holding out pretty well, but Duck didn’t know how bad the wound was. Duck had his first aid pack with him, but he had no idea if it would be effective on Indrid’s Sylvan form. He really hoped it would be. But until they landed, it was all Duck could do to hold on.

 

After what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, they set down in a clearing. Duck let go of Indrid, but Indrid seemed to be leaning on him for support. Duck glanced around at the clearing. There were a few boulders jutting out of the ground, reaching just over Duck’s waist.

 

“C’mon, we’re gonna sit down,” Duck said.

 

Indrid nodded and loosened his grip slightly. Duck led him carefully over to one of the flatter rocks. Indrid slumped against it wordlessly, letting his wings droop.

 

“Can you move it?” Duck asked, gesturing the wing in question.

 

“I’m not sure,” Indrid wheezed.

 

It looked really bad. The bluish-black feathers were coated in congealed orange blood from an uneven diagonal gash. The wound stretched about six inches from the bottom of the wing towards the inner joints connecting it to Indrid’s back. Duck was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to properly treat that with just his standard-issue first aid kit.

 

“That’s alright, I’ll just--” Duck clambered onto the rock, being careful not to disturb Indrid’s unstable position. He positioned himself behind Indrid, on his left side. “I need you to hold still as best as you can, ‘cause it’s gonna hurt a lot.”

 

Indrid looked up at the sky. “I’m pretty good at holding sti--AH! Fuck!”

 

“I know,” Duck said, holding an already bloodied antiseptic wipe.

 

He ripped the packaging off another wipe. There were seven left after that one, and the first one only managed to clean an inch. Carefully, so carefully, Duck swiped away more blood and dirt with the wipe. Indrid gasped, but didn’t complain. Duck pulled out a roll of bandages and started taping it down as he went.

 

It looked like the abomination had torn all the way through Indrid’s wing, and it was a real nasty cut. He would have to fix up both sides to keep out any infection. Once Duck finished bandaging one side of the wing, he dug through his bag to see if there was any antiseptic ointment. He found an unopened tube of it underneath a few packages of trail mix. As he broke the foil seal, Indrid started moving.

 

“What’s wrong?” Duck asked.

 

“I’m trying to make it easier to do the underside,” Indrid said.

 

“Would it be better if you just relaxed it and I moved it? Or would I make it worse?” Duck suggested.

 

“Well, it can’t get much worse, so go ahead,” Indrid said.

 

“Now you jinxed it,” Duck said, a grim smile breaking across his panicked face.

 

Nonetheless, some of the tension dropped from Indrid’s shoulders and wings. Duck leaned back and gently lifted Indrid’s wing. Indrid pulled his mandibles back in what was probably a grimace. It looked like only the middle of the slash had fully pierced through, so Duck only needed one wipe for the whole thing. He mumbled scattered apologies as he cleaned the underside of Indrid’s wing. Indrid was making anxious chittering noises, and Duck assumed it was moth cursing. He affixed the bandage to the thin skin around the laceration and pulled back.

 

“Thank you,” Indrid huffed.

 

“It’s my fault you got hurt anyway, so it’s the least I could do,” Duck said.

 

“No, I should have been looking at a closer future. I got caught up in a completely different timeline,” Indrid said.

 

“Well, we’re stuck in this one,” Duck said. Indrid hummed in acknowledgement. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

 

“We’re south of where we were,” Indrid said, “I don’t know how far. I just flew as far as I could.”

 

“Probably for the best, if the thing’s still looking for us,” Duck said, “We can wait here until you’re good enough to walk.”

 

“It’s going to get dark soon,” Indrid said.

 

“I got a flashlight,” Duck said.

 

“Fair enough,” Indrid said.

 

“I also have a map, somewhere in here, so we could start looking for a road,” Duck said.

 

“West,” Indrid said. Duck frowned at him. “If we head northwest we’ll reach the closest road.”

 

“That’s gotta be at least two and a half miles away,” Duck said. He was picturing the map in his head. The closest road to where they probably were was the highway, so if they couldn’t hear any road noise they would be pretty far out.  Most people on there were probably heading south towards Green Bank, anyway. It would be quite the hike to get back to Kepler, and Indrid was in no shape to fly.

 

“There’s a gas station, with a payphone, um, half a mile up that road,” Indrid said. His breathing was slightly labored.

 

“Indrid, are you--”

 

“Okay, yes, I’ll be fine. I heal a bit faster, than uh, humans, it’s just-- not a pleasant process,” Indrid said.

 

“Do you need anything? Water? Food?” Duck offered.

 

“Not-- not right now,” Indrid said, “We need to find a place to hide for the night.”

 

“Hide?” Duck questioned. Indrid nodded. “Shit. Uh, there’s not too many caves ‘round here, so I dunno what to tell you. I could do a lean-to, or something, would that work?”

 

“For tonight,” Indrid nodded.

 

“Are you, um, are you gonna stay like this?” Duck asked.

 

“No, I’ll put my disguise back on,” Indrid said.

 

“Alright.” Duck started looking around the clearing.

 

Most of the surrounding shade was from the pine trees. Duck scoped out two that were about seven feet apart, and had roughly the same branch distribution. The ground in the clearing was mostly soft earth, but snow was still visible under the thicker branches of trees. Great, he could build insulation with that. Duck started looking for any readily-available logs. Obviously, there weren’t that many. The forestry people were too good at their job. Out of the few that Duck found, many were rotted and soggy from the snow.

 

Eventually, just as the sky was starting to turn pink, Duck had gathered enough sticks for a lean-to. He balanced the longest beam across some almost-even branches. Then he wedged the other two big logs between some slightly lower branches on each tree. Not his best work, but he had a time limit. He added a few more vertical sticks, then started crossing them with the horizontal beams.

 

Once Duck finished, he stepped back to examine it. It wasn’t too bad, considering the circumstances. Indrid walked over, wearing his disguise and carrying a handful of damp pine needles. He dumped them at the bottom of the stick-lattice Duck made. Duck looked over at him.

 

“You gonna be okay? It’s gonna get really cold,” Duck asked.

 

“I’ll manage,” Indrid said.

 

“There’s a blanket in the bag,” Duck said, gesturing back to the rock where he left it.

 

Indrid nodded and walked back. Duck watched him for a moment, before turning to find some snow. The sun was sinking quickly. If Duck was fast, he could push the snow up against the sides of the lean-to for insulation. He didn’t have gloves or a shovel, so he had to settle for kicking it around. Indrid continued piling pine needles and soggy leaves over the framework. As the last of the light drifted below the mountains, they had a solid shelter set up. A little cramped, maybe, but better than being exposed.

 

“That good enough?” Duck asked as Indrid walked over with his bag. Indrid had the blanket around his shoulders, but Duck could see him starting to shiver.

 

“Yes,” Indrid said. He ducked into the structure readily, brushing away some rocks and loose dirt before sitting cross-legged on the ground.

 

Duck followed quickly. He didn’t like being out in an unfamiliar part of the forest with an abomination on the loose. He fished his flashlight out of the bag and clicked it on, setting it sideways between his ankle and Indrid’s knee. The bright LEDs reflected in Indrid’s glasses.

 

“So, uh, what now?” Duck asked.

 

“Well, we really just have to wait,” Indrid said, “Even with my night vision, it’s not safe for us to walk around. Especially since you only have a flashlight.”

 

“Great,” Duck sighed. He had Beacon, coiled up and stuffed in his pack, but it was obviously useless against a rock monster.

 

Indrid resettled in the small space. He pulled his knees up to his chest, as if trying to make himself smaller. Duck watched Indrid pull the blanket tighter around himself. The chill was setting in fast for Duck, too, but his puffy jacket would have to work for a bit. He would avoid that awkward conversation for as long as possible.

 

“Are we lost?” Indrid asked.

 

“You tell me,” Duck said.

 

“Well, we know where we are,” Indrid said, “But no one else does. We’ll have to do something about that.”

 

“We can walk to the gas station tomorrow,” Duck said, “If you can get that far.”

 

“Yes, that’s the problem, I think,” Indrid said.

 

“We’ll go slow. If it’s only three miles and we leave right after sunrise, we’ll get there soon enough,” Duck said.

 

“There’s two options I’m trying to explore right now,” Indrid said with a jerky shiver.

 

“Which ones?” Duck asked.

 

“Stay disguised, so I don’t get caught, or take it off so I can heal faster. Holding this disguise does require a little bit of effort on my part,” Indrid said.

 

“Well, I don’t know that we’d both fit in here, but I don’t want you to be in pain any more than you have to be,” Duck said.

 

“Either way, I don’t generate heat. I’m only warm-blooded when I’m flying. Fucking excellent, moth anatomy,” Indrid said. He was starting to shiver more consistently now.

 

“That’s-- I mean, I didn’t know what you were thinking, uh, vis a vis the sleeping situation, but we are gonna have to share the blanket,” Duck said. It was getting too cold to put it off.

 

“It’s not a very big blanket,” Indrid said, clutching it like his life depended on it. Realistically, it kind of did.

 

“Look, beggars can’t be choosers, okay? It’s what I had,” Duck said.

 

“No, I just meant that it would be difficult for two large men to fit under,” Indrid said, “I’ll be too cold to safely warm up by physical contact, and that would endanger you. We can’t both have hypothermia.”

 

“D’you have a better plan?” Duck asked. He felt himself starting to shiver. Indrid was silent. “C’mere.”

 

Indrid tilted his head. Duck reached out at him, stopping just short of touching his arms. Indrid seemed to get the message.

 

“Duck…” Indrid said.

 

“What? I’m tryna keep us alive out here. Do you have survival training?” Duck asked.

 

“No,” Indrid gave in.

 

He moved the flashlight to the side and crawled into Duck’s lap. It was awkward, and cold, and Indrid’s elbows and knees were sharp, but Duck knew it was better than freezing completely. Indrid quickly unfolded the blanket from where he held it at his chest and wrapped that arm around Duck’s neck, grabbing hold of his other wrist.. The fleece of Indrid’s jacket was cold on Duck’s skin.

 

“You sure you don’t got any kinda ice powers?” Duck asked with a grin.

 

“I might just manifest them now,” Indrid chittered. He was shivering still.

 

Duck assessed the situation. If he unzipped his jacket, he could have Indrid closer to his skin and give him an extra layer. Indrid moved before Duck even said anything. It took a lot of wiggling, but they managed it. Duck had one arm around Indrid’s waist and one around his chest. Indrid burrowed his face in Duck’s shoulder. Duck shivered, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold.

 

“This ain’t sustainable,” Duck said. His knees were starting to ache from supporting Indrid’s (admittedly light) weight.

 

“Hmm.” It was more of a feeling than a word, but Duck knew what he meant. Moving meant losing heat.

 

“How’d we get picked for this damn scouting mission anyways,” Duck scowled.

 

“Tactically, it made sense. In actuality, I was the worst choice,” Indrid said, his voice muffled in Duck’s shirt.

 

“Well you got us out of there pretty quick, that was nice,” Duck pointed out.

 

“And now I’ve lost my mobility advantage,” Indrid countered, “I don’t know about Ned, but Aubrey could have at least made a fire. Barclay is cold-resistant. So is Dani.”

 

“No one knew this would happen,” Duck said.

 

“I thought it might,” Indrid admitted, “But like I said, I didn’t act on that timeline. It wasn’t very prominent until it was just about to happen.”

 

“If it’s any consolation, I think I’d rather be out here with you than any of them,” Duck said, “Well, okay, maybe Aubrey ‘cause the fire thing, but I don’t think she’d be too good at survival stuff.”

 

“Mmph,” Indrid replied eloquently. His hand slipped from his wrist, letting the blanket fall open. Duck fixed it quickly.

 

“Hey, are you-- Indrid?”

 

Indrid’s head was starting to fall, along with the rest of his body. Duck moved to catch him in a better hold. He vaguely remembered from an entomology class back in college that insects tended to not-quite-hibernate when temperatures got too low. Duck hoped that was the problem, not straight-up hypothermia. But he didn’t want either of those to happen right now, especially since he didn’t know how it would affect Indrid’s recovery.

 

“Indrid, I need you to stay with me here,” Duck said.

 

“‘M not moving,” Indrid mumbled.

 

“Yeah, good, keep being snarky, at least you’re awake, come on,” Duck said.

 

“I don’t… feel very good?” Indrid said, more of a question than a statement.

 

“Yeah, I know. You gotta stay up though, at least for now. Tell me something. Tell me about your Winnebago. How’d you get that big dent in the front of it?” Duck said.

 

“I… Winnebago. Dent. Yes. Crashed it into…”

 

“Indrid?”

 

“Shrimp…”

 

Indrid passed out. Fuck. Duck had no idea what to do. Indrid was freezing, they were already as close as they could get, and there was no dry wood to start a fire. That’s how desperate Duck was, he was willing to start an unregulated campfire. It was permitted in emergency circumstances. If this wasn’t emergency circumstance, Duck didn’t know what was.

 

There was a lighter Duck kept in his pack, but it wouldn’t do much against the moisture of all the tinder and wood in the area. It wasn’t like Duck could leave the shelter, either, because then he risked Indrid getting even colder. And human or not, frostbite would be a danger. There were a lot of dangers right now, including but not limited to the big free-roaming abomination that was likely hunting them down. There had to be something in Duck’s bag that could help with being too cold.

 

“Alright, Indrid, I’m gonna move a little bit. Assuming you’re hibernating or whatever, you should be fine, but it would be real nice if you could wake up,” Duck said.

 

Indrid did not wake up. Duck could feel how cold he was, and it was terrifying. In his logical mind, he knew that continuing to be so close to Indrid would put Duck in danger of hypothermia. But he also knew he couldn’t kick Indrid out of the blanket and let him freeze to death. He didn’t know what the consequences of a temperature shock would do to Indrid’s physical state, let alone mental. He knew that the space heaters helped Indrid to not go feral, so he was pretty worried.

 

Worried or not, though, Duck had to get into his bag. He shifted Indrid to one side and reached one arm out to grab the bag. The air was cold, the bag was cold, Duck’s hand was cold, but he pulled it closer and reached into it. As he felt around, he tired to remember what was in there. Water bottle, trail mix, lighter, map, first aid kit… he had to have hand warmers somewhere.

 

Aha. At the bottom, Duck felt the foil packaging. He pulled all of them out (three, hopefully that would be enough) and started opening them. They began to warm up, to Duck’s relief. He wasn’t entirely sure how old those things were. He let them air out for a second before he got to work.

 

Duck focused on Indrid first; he pulled Indrid’s sleeves over his hands so he wouldn’t get burned, and then closed Indrid’s hands around the warmers. Duck put the other one in his shirt pocket, to have a heat source between both of their chests. Duck shuffled around until Indrid was basically straddling him. It was slightly more comfortable than before, but still not great.

 

After a few minutes of tense silence, Indrid began to stir. Duck held Indrid’s neck up so he could breathe properly. He waited as Indrid’s pulse picked up slightly. Please be okay--

 

“Duck--” Indrid's fingernails dug into Duck's sides. The heat from the hand warmers was barely there.

 

“Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay, Indrid,” Duck said, slowly rubbing Indrid’s back. “Do you remember who I-- no that's a dumb question, you just said my name. Do you know where we are right now?”

 

“Lost in the forest,” Indrid murmured.

 

“Good enough. Are you warming up?” Duck asked.

 

“Yes,” Indrid replied. A flood of relief washed over Duck.

 

“How's your wing doing? I don't know if you can feel it right now, actually--”

 

“I think it is still hurting. It's too cold to tell the full sensation, but I can feel it a little bit,” Indrid said. He seemed to be purposefully looking away as he dragged his arms up to loop over Duck’s shoulders. He pressed the hand warmers against Duck’s back.

 

“That's-- okay, it's not good, but you can sort of feel it, so that's something,” Duck said.

 

“Mm. Do we have food?” Indrid asked. His breath was cold on Duck’s face.

 

“We got trail mix,” Duck said.

 

“Can I have some?” Indrid asked.

 

“Yeah,” Duck said softly.

 

He moved the hand he had on Indrid’s back to dig through the bag. The other hand was numb from holding the blanket together. After a few seconds of struggling, Duck managed to pull out a package of trail mix. He had to hook his arm behind Indrid’s shoulder. Indrid refused to move his arms, clinging to Duck’s shoulder blades.

 

“If you’re not gonna let me move can you at least hold the blanket?” Duck asked.

 

“Sorry,” Indrid said. He put both his hand warmers in one hand and used the other to grab the blanket from Duck’s clenched fingers.

 

Duck relaxed his hand and felt a warm ache setting in. He knew it wasn’t quite frostbite, but it easily could have been. He squeezed his arm over Indrid’s shoulder to open the trail mix. Once he made a big enough tear, he shook a few pieces into his hand. He shoved it into his mouth, grimacing at the taste of stale chocolate and almonds. Fortunately, the first good thing to happen all night, there were no raisins in that pitiful handful, thank god.

 

“Here,” Duck said. He took the blanket back from Indrid and gave him the package.

 

Indrid took it wordlessly and poured some in his mouth. He didn’t seem to like it much either. But like everything else in Duck’s pack, it was all they had, so he would have to deal. Duck sighed and leaned his head on Indrid’s arm. Indrid didn’t say anything, but Duck could hear him crunching.

 

“You know what time it is?” Duck asked.

 

“Almost six-thirty,” Indrid replied.

 

“Damn,” Duck said. He hated how dark it got in the winter.

 

“Do you think we’ll be able to get back tomorrow?” Indrid asked.

 

“Shit, Indrid, you tell me,” Duck said.

 

“I already know what I think. I want to know what you think,” Indrid said.

 

“I think we will. Fuck, I hope we will,” Duck said, “I don’t know if my fuckin’ blood pressure could handle any longer than that.”

 

Indrid didn’t really reply. He just poured more trail mix into his mouth. The crunching felt magnified in the still forest. Probably it was just because Indrid’s face was right by Duck’s ear, but whatever. Duck started thinking about whether they would have to ration food. They wouldn’t, right? Three miles wasn’t that bad. They could do it in less than a day. If Indrid was up for it and nothing bad happened, at least.

 

“Indrid?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Please tell me we’re gonna make it back.”

 

“‘Ell you or co’firm for you?” Indrid said with his mouth full. He swallowed with an unpleasant gulping noise.

 

“I don’t care,” Duck sighed.

 

“We are going to make it back to Kepler,” Indrid said confidently.

 

“Thanks,” Duck laughed bitterly.

 

“No problem,” Indrid said. He poured some more of the mix into his mouth.

 

They sat in this uncomfortable limbo for a few more minutes. Duck tried not to be annoyed by Indrid’s mouth sounds, and Indrid looked like he was in a fugue state. Then Indrid finished the trail mix, and Duck had the feeling that neither of them knew what to do.

 

“Should we go to sleep?” Duck suggested, “I mean, it’s not like we got anything better to do.”

 

“One of us will have to keep watch,” Indrid said.

 

“How would that work if we both need to be in the blanket?” Duck asked.

 

“I… don’t know,” Indrid admitted. The words sounded bitter on his tongue. Duck felt himself almost subconsciously petting Indrid’s back again.

 

“That’s alright,” Duck said, “Guess we’re both staying up then.”

 

“You’re going to fall asleep soon,” Indrid said.

 

“Can you keep me awake?” Duck asked.

 

“I can try,” Indrid said.

  
Then it was quiet. Not quite silent, because Duck could hear Indrid’s shallow breathing and feel his sluggish pulse. Every brush of wind through the pines was familiar yet terrifying. Duck felt out of place, almost. This wasn’t _his_ forest. This was just the forest. But the adrenaline of trying to survive was starting to wear off, and Duck couldn’t stop his eyelids from drooping. The last thing he heard before he fell asleep was Indrid’s indiscernible voice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two old men just trying to walk in the forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long break on this one yall, i was working on other projects lhlsdgslkdgh anyways the next/final chapter should be out by the end of the week lmao

“Duck.”

 

The voice was familiar, but the atmosphere was not. Duck could feel hard ground underneath his back, and hear birds chirping in the distance. He opened his bleary eyes. Indrid was leaning over him, crouching at the edge of the lean-to. The sun was bright behind him.

 

“Hey,” Duck said, voice hoarse. He blinked away some sleep and flexed his fingers. “Wait, I was supposed to stay awake.”

 

“You needed to sleep, and I’m pretty nocturnal anyway,” Indrid said.

 

“But-- how are you not frozen then?” Duck frowned.

 

“Well, I was still leeching your body heat, and it was more comfortable to lay down than to sit like we were,” Indrid said, “I got up about a half hour ago, when the sun started rising.”

 

Duck looked past Indrid at the light blue sky above the trees. There were a few high clouds, but probably no risk of rain. He pushed the blanket off and sat up, despite his back’s protest. Indrid held out a hand and helped Duck pull himself up and out of the shelter.

 

“Did you eat breakfast already?” Duck asked.

 

“No, I’ve been trying to figure out where we are,” Indrid said. He gestured to the map from Duck’s bag, laid out on the ground with rocks and pine cones arranged haphazardly.

 

“Alright. How’re you doing? Are you feeling any different than last night?” Duck asked.

 

“I… I’m warmer? I don’t know what you’re asking,” Indrid said.

 

“Can I--” Duck reached for Indrid’s wrist. Indrid let him take it, and he seemed to understand what Duck was doing. His pulse was quick and erratic, which was concerning.

 

“It’s okay, Duck,” Indrid said with a small smile. “It’s supposed to be like that.”

 

“So you really were hibernating last night,” Duck said, eyebrows raised.

 

“Unfortunately,” Indrid nodded.

 

“How’s your wing?” Duck asked.

 

“Better,” Indrid said vaguely.

 

“Do you want me to take a look at it?” Duck asked.

 

“Sure,” Indrid said. 

 

He stepped back and took off his glasses. Instantly, Indrid was Mothman, although he looked a little downtrodden. He spread out his right wings, and his top left wing, and weakly flexed his lower left wing. Duck got out the first aid kit and approached him slowly.

 

“I’m gonna redo the bandages so they don’t get infected,” Duck said. Indrid said nothing, but resolutely pushed the injured wing towards Duck.

 

Duck gently reached for the bandage on the underside of Indrid’s wing. This part wasn’t as bad, so it should be easier to do first. As Duck brushed Indrid’s wing, Indrid flinched back.

 

“Sorry,” Duck said.

 

“No, it’s okay,” Indrid strained.

 

Duck tried again, more firmly. The faster he did it, the faster it would be done. He peeled the bandage away and looked at the thin scab underneath. It looked neater than he’d left it: a straight, sharp line of dark orange. Duck noticed what was probably scar tissue filling in the ragged edges. Indrid really did heal fast.

 

Once he was sure there was no dirt or anything around it, Duck taped another bandage over it. He hoped that would be enough. It wasn’t like Indrid could even go to a doctor for this anyway. Duck stood up and started walking around to the back of Indrid’s wing. The bandaging on that side was starting to peel on its own.

 

“This is gonna sting,” Duck warned. He ripped the dressings off quickly, eliciting a hiss from Indrid. “Sorry.”

 

That side still looked pretty bad. Some of the smaller tears were filled in with grey scar tissue, but the big gash looked the same. It was scabbed over, at least. Duck would need to clean this one for sure. He tore open a wipe and meticulously traced the edge of the cut with it. Indrid was completely rigid and silent. Duck really hoped he wasn’t hurting Indrid more than he had to. He brushed aside a few stray feathers, sending a shiver through Indrid’s body.

 

“Sorry,” Duck said again.

 

“It’s fine,” Indrid said. He did not sound fine.

 

Duck put fresh bandaging over the scab, more neatly than last night. He had to hold back a few feathers to make sure they didn’t get caught in the adhesive. Once he let them go back, he smoothed them out without thinking. Indrid shivered again and Duck jerked back.

 

“Sorry,” Duck said. He was a really shitty doctor, apparently.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Indrid said, “That wasn’t-- it doesn’t hurt so much, but you can imagine that my wings are, uh, sensitive.”

 

If Duck could see Indrid’s face, he would guess he would look sheepish. That was the vibe Indrid was giving off, anyway. Before Duck could even walk around to see for sure, though, Indrid put his glasses back on. His expression was unreadable as ever, but he seemed withdrawn.

 

“So, uh,” Duck cleared his throat. “Are we gonna head out?”

 

“...Yes,” Indrid said. He didn’t move.

 

“Indrid?” Duck asked.

 

“Hm? Oh, sorry. Yes. Here, let me show you the map,” Indrid said. 

 

He led Duck to the map on the ground. It wasn’t very big, but it had about six rocks and two pine cones on it. Indrid picked up a stick and started pointing at the different markers.

 

“These two are us.” Indrid pointed to two rocks a few miles southwest of the Eastwood Trail. “This is Kepler up here.” Indrid pointed to the pine cone positioned at the very top of the map, slightly to the west. “This is the gas station.” Indrid pointed to the other, smaller pinecone placed just above the highway. “This is the Pine Guard, they’re looking for us.” Indrid gestured to the four rocks slightly east of the big pine cone. “And this is the abomination.” Indrid pointed to a big chunk of rock that Duck had assumed was just a paperweight. It was at the eastern edge of the map, almost directly east of the gas station.

 

“So what’s the plan? Just walk and hope for the best?” Duck asked.

 

“Essentially, yes. I should be able to keep track of the abomination’s movements, in case it starts coming towards us,” Indrid confirmed.

 

“Alright. Should we eat? I think there’s still two trail mix things in the bag, plus water” Duck asked.

 

“I’m okay, but you should,” Indrid said.

 

“You sure?” Duck checked.

 

“Yes, Duck, I’m sure. I will take some water though,” Indrid said.

 

“Alright.” Duck pulled out the water bottle and a package of trail mix. He cracked the seal on the water and handed it to Indrid.

 

“Thanks,” Indrid said. Duck nodded.

 

They stood in silence for a moment, consuming their respective sustenance. Duck felt like the crunch in his jaws was echoing around the clearing. He glanced over at Indrid, and had to do a double-take. Indrid had poured some water into his hand and was drinking it with… a straw? Wait. Nope, that’s his tongue. 

 

Duck looked away quickly. He figured he should start deconstructing the lean-to, so he went over to do that. He brushed away most of the pine needles and leaves, pulled the sticks out of the middle, and took down the supporting logs. Leave no trace, Duck thought to himself. Just in general, and in case the abomination was smart enough to track clues.

 

“Duck?” Indrid said.

 

“Yeah?” Duck turned towards him.

 

“We should go,” Indrid said.

 

“Okay,” Duck said.

 

He kicked some snow away and went over to Indrid. Indrid had the bag, so they were ready to go. Duck looked up at the sun and tried to gauge which direction they needed to walk. It was in the southeast, so they needed to walk directly away from it.

 

“You ready?” Duck asked. Indrid nodded.

 

They started walking through the endless forest. It looked basically the same in every direction. Duck figured that for the most part, they just had to follow their shadows. It would get a little more dicey in the middle of the day, but by then they should hear road noise or some other telling sign of human life.

 

Even though the circumstances were a little unusual, Duck still had to admire the forest. There was something so peaceful about walking under the huge trees. The trees had been there for centuries before them and would be there after they died. Given that nothing destroyed them, of course. With the surge of raging abominations lately, Duck didn’t know if their presence was guaranteed after all.

 

A bird’s call echoed through the branches. Duck looked around, but didn't see it. It was probably a lark, so it wouldn’t be easy to spot. He watched where he stepped anyway. Duck stepped around a patch of mud. The snow had cleared up for the most part, so there was just half-melted slush under the thicker trees left. His shadow was slowly getting shorter.

 

Indrid stumbled over a protruding root. Duck stopped in his tracks.

 

“You okay?” Duck asked.

 

“Yes,” Indrid said, frowning.

 

“You sure?” Duck said, raising an eyebrow. He had never seen Indrid trip before.

 

“I’m fine, Duck,” Indrid said, “Just got distracted. Trying to make sure we don’t get killed, I’m sure you understand.”

 

“O-okay,” Duck said.

 

Indrid started walking again, quicker than before. Duck tried to match his speed, but Indrid was inhumanly fast. Duck was too close to speed up more but too far to be right next to Indrid. Then Indrid tripped on a rock and Duck almost crashed into him.

 

“Indrid are  you sure you’re-- ”

 

“--okay. Yes, I’m okay, I just need to focus,” Indrid said.

 

“On what?” Duck asked.

 

“Walking.” As if to prove his point, Indrid started deliberately stepping over every rock and pine cone on the ground.

 

“Is it your wing?” Duck asked.

 

“A little bit,” Indrid said.

 

“Do you wanna stop?” Duck offered.

 

“We can’t,” Indrid said.

 

“What about-- do you need to lean on me?” Duck suggested.

 

“It’s okay, Duck, I’ll be fine,” Indrid said. Duck opened his mouth to speak, but Indrid interrupted. “I don’t want to slow us down.”

 

“I don’t want you falling on your damn face,” Duck countered, “You’re hurt, you’re allowed to ask for some help. Hell, you don’t even gotta ask for it! I’m offering to help you.”

 

Indrid seemed to consider that. Duck felt bad for raising his voice. He looked down at the ground, waiting for Indrid to respond. Shit, what if Indrid was upset? Duck started formulating apologies in his head. He didn’t want to sound insincere, but he didn’t want to be guilt-tripping--

 

“Can I lean on you?” Indrid asked. His voice was small and robotic, like he was speaking a foreign language.

 

“Of course,” Duck replied, “Do you want to hold onto my arm, or do you need me to hold you up?”

 

“I can hold onto your arm,” Indrid said.

 

Duck presented his arm with a facetious flourish. Indrid smiled just a little bit as he tentatively wrapped his hand around Duck’s bicep, and that made Duck feel better. They started walking again. Now, they were at the same pace, and Indrid seemed to be more steady. Duck watched their feet move in tandem. 

 

They managed another pretty solid distance before Indrid started lagging again. From Duck’s vague guess, they’d probably walked almost two miles. He had to admire Indrid’s perseverance; he hadn’t even complained about any pain. But he had started dragging his feet, so Duck figured they should take a break.

 

“Do you wanna stop?” Duck asked.

 

“Not really,” Indrid said, “We can wait until we get to the river.”

 

“How far is that?” Duck replied.

 

“Another four minutes or so,” Indrid said.

 

“Alright,” Duck said.

 

Those four minutes were probably just two minutes for a non-injured person. Duck knew Indrid’s regular walking speed, and it wasn’t this. Indrid looked like he was forgetting to pick up his feet. His gaze was distant, too, so Duck knew he wasn’t in the present. He couldn’t blame the guy. The present sucked. Finally, though, they made it to the river. Duck heard it before he saw it. The rushing water was only frozen along the banks, and the ground sloped downward into crunchy mud. 

 

Indrid stopped abruptly, about eight feet from the water.

 

“You good?” Duck asked.

 

“Yeah,” Indrid said, “Let’s stop here.”

 

Duck nodded. He scoped out a tree stump Indrid could sit down on. It had some snow on it, but Duck brushed it away. Indrid sat down absentmindedly. Duck could tell that he still wasn’t quite there.

 

“Should I just risk flying?”

 

Duck looked over at Indrid. “Do you think you can?”

 

“Maybe by myself,” Indrid mused.

 

“Can you make it back to the rest of the Pine Guard and tell them where I am?” Duck suggested.

 

“I'm not leaving you here alone.” Indrid said it like he wasn't going to argue about it.

 

“I can take care of myself,” Duck replied weakly.

 

“But you're not invincible anymore,” Indrid said sharply. Duck shut his mouth. Indrid looked at Duck for the first time since he sat down. “I'm sorry. That was rude. I meant that if the abomination gets to you before we can, then that's on me.”

 

“It's not, though,” Duck said, “It's on the abomination, first of all, and second of all you already took a big hit.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Indrid said. He was flexing his shoulders like his wings were there. From the way Indrid winced, it probably felt like they were.

 

“So we'll keep walking. We are gonna have to get across the river, though,” Duck said.

 

“I can get us that far,” Indrid said.

 

“Are you sure?” Duck asked.

 

“Do you doubt me?” Indrid said.

 

“As your unofficial doctor and the dude who half-carried you here, yeah,” Duck said.

 

“Well, I’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go,” Indrid said. He stood up, only wobbling a little bit, and walked up to the riverbank. 

 

“What’s the plan?” Duck asked. This part of the river wasn’t too wide, luckily. Just too wide to jump over.

 

“I’ll just pick you up and hop over,” Indrid said, “I might be able to do it with just my upper wings.”

 

“Alright,” Duck said, “Are you sure I’m not too heavy?”

 

“Think of it this way: your weight is like a backpack. It’s not even a problem for short distances, it just gets harder when I have to go really far,” Indrid said.

 

“That ‘far’ is relative when you got a messed up wing, though,” Duck said.

 

“Just come over here,” Indrid said. Duck followed his instruction wordlessly. “Hold still.”

 

Duck did that too. Indrid stepped back and pulled off his glasses. He was towering over Duck now, at least three feet taller, but he still managed to look tired. Duck braced himself. This time, Indrid was much more gentle about it. He used his lower arms to support Duck’s waist, and his upper arms to lift Duck under his arms. Duck closed his eyes involuntarily. He wasn’t scared, but he felt like it was the right thing to do. Besides, being so close to Indrid felt weird in the daylight.

 

Before Duck even registered that they were moving, Indrid touched down on the other side of the river. Duck heard him laugh, and could feel the sound echoing in Indrid’s chest. He opened his eyes and moved back. Indrid let him go easily.

 

“Were you scared?” Indrid smiled.

 

“No, I just knew I would be if I tried to look down,” Duck said.

 

“I wouldn’t drop you,” Indrid said.

 

“I know, but, y’know,” Duck said.

 

“Come on, we should be getting pretty close,” Indrid said. He shoved his glasses back on. Duck reached out instinctively as he started to fall. “It’s fine.”

 

“It’s affecting your balance, right?” Duck asked. Indrid nodded. “Are you dizzy or anything? Feverish? Nauseous?”

 

“No, it just hurts,” Indrid said. Duck hooked his arm under Indrid’s shoulder. Indrid slumped against him.”

 

“It was too much, wasn’t it,” Duck said.

 

“No,” Indrid lied.

 

“Do you need to sit down again?” Duck asked.

 

“We can’t keep stopping,” Indrid said, “It’s coming back this way.”

 

“Are you kidding me?” Duck muttered. “Fuck it. I’ll carry you.”

 

“Duck--”

 

Duck was already scooping him up. It wasn’t a great position, but it would work for now. Indrid barely weighed anything. The bag he was wearing was heavier than he was. Duck had his arms under Indrid’s back and legs. Indrid was clinging to Duck’s neck with his cold hands.

 

“Now who’s scared,” Duck teased.

 

“Just go,” Indrid said.

 

This new and uneasy mode of transportation was only slightly faster than dragging Indrid on foot. Still, it was better than staying in one place. If what Indrid said was true, they had to keep moving. Duck’s arms were starting to get tired, though. Indrid was silently fuming against Duck’s shoulder, seeping cold into Duck’s chest. They really should figure something else out.

 

“I can hear you having an asthma attack,” Indrid said finally.

 

“I’m not,” Duck said, struggling to breathe.

 

“Put me down,” Indrid said.

 

“Are we far enough?” Duck asked.

 

“Twenty minutes to the gas station, unless you pass out right here,” Indrid said.

 

“Okay.” Duck let Indrid go.

 

Indrid righted himself. Duck held out a hand almost reflexively. Indrid took it in his own, but he looked slightly confused. Duck decided to roll with it. They could keep each other standing, at least. Once Duck caught his breath, he started walking, pulling Indrid along. Indrid was distracted again, so it was for the best that Duck could keep him from running into anything. They walked for another five minutes or so.

 

“It would be excellent if you had a flare gun,” Indrid said out of the blue.

 

Duck almost stopped walking as he turned to look at Indrid. “Now why the hell would I have a flare gun?” 

 

Indrid looked mildly amused, but he said nothing.

 

“No, tell me, Indrid. Tell me how that’s a good idea. They won’t let me even use handcuffs but a gun that shoots fire in a heavily wooded area would be a great idea,” Duck said incredulously.

 

“If you did have a flare gun, I think you would be careful enough to avoid setting anything on fire,” Indrid said.

 

“I appreciate your faith in me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have a flare gun, nor do I know how to use one,” Duck said.

 

“I know,” Indrid said, “And I think, based on your luck in the past, that you should keep a safe distance between yourself and firearms.”

 

“Did I have a flare gun in one of the timelines?” Duck asked.

 

“No, I just thought it might be a cool thing to have,” Indrid said.

 

“Do you have a gun?” Duck asked.

 

“Yes,” Indrid replied.

 

“For real?” Duck raised his eyebrows.

 

“I haven’t used it in quite a while, but yes,” Indrid said.

 

“Is it like, a magic gun?” Duck asked. He guided Indrid around a tree root.

 

“Yeah,” Indrid said.

 

“Cool,” Duck said.

 

Up ahead, Duck could see the road. No one was on it, but he could hear engines in the distance. They should start heading north along the side of the road until they needed to cross. Indrid read his mind and changed directions. Now Duck was being towed along by Indrid, who was back to the present again. Duck didn’t mind, so long as Indrid didn’t overexert himself. After eighteen minutes (not that Duck was counting) Indrid stopped. They were between two trees, looking at the old gas station across the highway.

 

“Here?” Duck asked. Indrid nodded. “Are any cars coming?”

 

“No,” Indrid said. His grip on Duck’s hand tightened. “Three, two, one, go--”

 

They tore across the two-lane highway. Duck felt another surge of adrenaline, stemming from the connection between his and Indrid’s hands. He laughed a little bit. Honestly, he felt like a dumb teenager doing something stupid again. Indrid was laughing too, and it was a really nice sound.

 

They stumbled off the other side of the asphalt. Duck felt almost dizzy, but it wasn’t from running. Indrid was leaning on Duck’s arms, laughing breathily. Duck could feel his own smile, too wide for his face, as he looked up at Indrid. Indrid looked down at him, and for a second, Duck thought he might come closer.

 

Indrid didn’t, though. Instead, he said, “Let’s go, there’s a payphone inside.”

 

“Right,” Duck said. Indrid peeled away from him and led the way to the gas station.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the last chapter, indrid forgets about eating and duck forgets the line between platonic and romantic intimacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as of midnight 3/1 this is unedited but i will come back to it eventually lmao i just had to get it out

The bell over the door chimed as Indrid pushed it open. Duck followed him through. His eyes adjusted to the dim overhead lights. An old man behind the counter looked up from the book he was reading.

 

“Morning! Didn’t think there’d be anyone around this time o’day,” the man said, “Name’s Ron. Y’all from out of town?”

 

“Yes, we were on a camping trip, and Duck here thought that it would be a good idea to wander into the woods, and we got a little lost,” Indrid said. Duck frowned at him.

 

“Well, there’s a phone over there, if ya wanna call someone to come get ya,” Ron said.

 

“Thanks,” Indrid said. He pulled Duck by the arm to the front corner of the store, where there was a payphone attached to the wall.

 

“I gotta get better at lying so y’all stop throwing me under the bus,” Duck muttered.

 

“Do you have change?” Indrid asked.

 

“Lemme check,” Duck said. Indrid took off the backpack and handed it to Duck. Hopefully his wallet was still in there. Duck dug around for a second before he found it. He pulled out all the cash that was in it. Eight dollars.

 

“We can ask for change,” Indrid said.

 

“We might as well get a snack or something. You haven’t even eaten today,” Duck said.

 

“Now that you mention it, I do think that low blood sugar is making things worse,” Indrid said.

 

“I know. I’m basically a doctor,” Duck said, “Go get a soda or something. I’ll meet you at the counter.”

 

“Okay,” Indrid said. He walked towards the refrigerator in the back.

 

Duck made his way to the “medical” section. He figured he could get some antibiotic stuff for Indrid’s wing, and maybe some more bandages. There wasn’t much he could do with six dollars, though. Duck picked up some pain relief ointment and examined the ingredients. He wasn’t entirely sure how Indrid would--

 

Thud.

 

Instinctively, Duck reached into his bag for Beacon. He looked around for the source of the noise. He didn’t see any threats, but he also didn’t see Indrid. Shit. Duck dropped everything and rushed to where Indrid had been just a second ago. Well, Indrid hadn’t left. He was just lying on the ground, glasses askew.

 

“Indrid?” Duck said softly. 

 

No response. Fuck. Duck crouched down next to him. He could see him breathing, at least. He fixed Indrid’s glasses. What’s next. Pulse. Right. Duck took Indrid’s wrist and counted the beats. It was still fast, but more erratic. Shit. Duck wasn’t actually a doctor. His best guess was hypoglycemia, based on what Indrid said earlier.

 

“What happened?” Ron asked.

 

Duck looked up. “I think his blood sugar got too low.”

 

“Should we call an ambulance?” Ron asked, alarmed.

 

“No-- I mean, no, this happens sometimes, he just has to have something sugary,” Duck lied. He honestly had no idea, but they definitely couldn’t go to a hospital.

 

“Oh, damn. Well, if you can bring him over, I got a couch in the back he can rest on until we get him something,” Ron said.

 

“Alright,” Duck said. He picked Indrid up for the second time that day and followed Ron into the back room.

 

“Right here,” Ron said, pointing to an old leather couch.

 

Duck set Indrid down gently. Indrid still wasn’t responding. Duck was panicking a little bit. He knew that he had to get sugar into Indrid’s body, but if he was unconscious it wouldn’t be safe to make him eat.

 

“I’ll get him a Sprite, that should work until y’all can get some real food,” Ron said.

 

“Thanks,” Duck said. He just kind of stood there as Ron went back into the store. He had no idea what to do. He figured he could maybe try to sit Indrid up. He leaned down to try and lift Indrid again. “It’s gonna be okay.”

 

Indrid gasped as Duck pulled on his shoulders. Duck stopped, but he held his hands in place. Indrid wasn’t awake yet. Duck propped him up against the back of the couch and sat down next to him to hold him in place. Indrid was becoming cold again, too. Shit.

 

Ron reentered the room, holding a bottle of Sprite. He handed it to Duck. Duck opened the bottle and held Indrid’s head up. He hesitated. This was weird. But it was the only solution he had, so he had to just go for it. He poured the soda into Indrid’s mouth, trying to block his sharp teeth from Ron’s view. After a second, he pulled the bottle back. He really didn’t want Indrid to choke.

 

Duck watched with bated breath as Indrid swallowed reflexively. He was still holding Indrid’s jaw weirdly. He didn’t want to move, though, because that might screw something up. The whole room was silent. Then, finally, Indrid moved.

 

More accurately, he spoke. “Tastes like Minecraft.”

 

Duck didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You wanna elaborate on that?”

 

“Bottle of enchanting,” Indrid said. Duck laughed.

 

“At least you’re up,” Duck said. He let go of Indrid’s face.

 

“Go ahead, say it,” Indrid said.

 

“Say what?” Duck replied.

 

“You told me so,” Indrid said.

 

“I never said anything about this,” Duck said.

 

“But you thought it,” Indrid said.

 

“I’m honestly just glad you’re okay. I had no idea what I was doing,” Duck said. He handed the Sprite over. “Here, drink more. We still gotta call someone, and I don’t know the right number.”

 

Indrid took the bottle and nearly drained it. Duck noticed that he was trying to drinking like a human. That was probably for the best, because Ron was still in the room, not saying anything. Duck looked over at him.

 

“Sorry about all this, we’ll get out of your hair after we use the phone,” Duck said.

 

“And get snacks,” Indrid said.

 

“Yeah,” Duck said.

 

“It’s alright. Gets kinda boring around here, anyway. I’ll be out front,” Ron said, leaving the room.

 

Duck nodded vaguely. He looked back at Indrid. “You need help getting up?”

 

“Maybe,” Indrid said.

 

“Come on,” Duck said. He stood up and held out a hand. Indrid grabbed it and pulled himself up, and didn’t let go.

 

They walked out to the front of the store. Duck gestured to the row of snacks lining the counter. Indrid picked out a few and brought them up to the register. Ron scanned them quickly and put them in a bag.

 

“That’ll be 7.48,” Ron said. Duck handed over the cash. Ron handed him his change.

 

“Thanks,” Duck said.

 

“No problem,” Ron nodded.

 

Duck and Indrid finally circled back to the payphone. Indrid put in the quarters and dialled whatever number he decided was the best. Duck waited silently. He heard the line pick up. 

 

“Hi Aubrey, it's Indrid,” Indrid said. Duck heard incoherent yelling from the other end. “I know. We're at the gas station, a few miles south of the campground.”

 

Duck could hear Aubrey's voice, but he couldn't make out the words. Indrid was listening intently.

 

“Yes, Duck is here, and he's fine. The abomination is coming back this way, though, so try and get here as soon as possible.” Indrid waited for Aubrey to talk. “Thirteen minutes.”

 

Shit. They had thirteen minutes until the abomination got there? Duck was already partially responsible for the destruction of one store, and he didn't want to go through all of that again. Indrid was talking again, cutting off Duck's train of thought.

 

“We’ll try to lead it away,” Indrid said. He paused. “I’ll tell him. See you soon.”

 

Indrid hung up the phone. Duck waited for him to start talking.

 

“According to Mama they won’t be here for another twenty minutes, and the abomination is here in thirteen. We’re going to lead it away, but Mama said— well, do you want what she said exactly or the nice version?” Indrid explained.

 

“The real version,” Duck sighed.

 

“She said ‘don’t let him throw his fuckin’ sword at the thing again’ and ‘under no circumstances should you let Duck try and sacrifice himself’ which I obviously had no intention of doing,” Indrid said. His impression of Mama was scarily accurate.

 

“Fair enough,” Duck said. Indrid laughed.

 

“And we’re going to start walking north as fast as we can, and hopefully meet them before it catches up to us,” Indrid said.

 

“We don’t know any of its weaknesses?” Duck asked.

 

“So far, no,” Indrid replied.

 

“Great,” Duck said, looking out the window. In the distance, a flock of birds were flying up into the sky. “Looks like we don’t have that long.”

 

“Yes, twelve minutes now, let’s go,” Indrid said.

 

They walked to the door. Indrid pulled it open, but Duck stopped. He looked at Ron, who had picked up the book he was reading earlier.

 

“Listen, uh, Ron, you got a gun?” Duck asked.

 

“O’course I got a gun, why?” Ron replied, looking a little suspicious.

 

“Just, uh, keep it close, I mean, there’s been trouble out here, and, y’know, better safe than sorry,” Duck said.

 

“Al-alright?” Ron raised his eyebrows. “Uh, take care now.”

 

“You too,” Duck said. He rushed out the door. Indrid followed close behind.

 

“Y’know, Duck, I’ve lived on my own for oh, about fifty years, barely interacting with anyone beyond superficial grocery runs. But it’s very comforting to know that no matter how weird I think I sound, there’s always going to be someone out there who is even more awkward,” Indrid said.

 

“Shut up,” Duck said.

 

“Make me,” Indrid replied instantly. 

 

Duck almost tripped. Indrid seemed very aware of the energy he had just created, and was at least nice enough to look self-conscious about it. They walked in awkward silence for another twenty yards or so. Duck kept glancing at Indrid. He wasn’t sure why he was so messed up about Indrid’s response. It was just a fun jab. A friendly goof. Duck was imagining the undertones. What undertones? Duck didn’t even want to go down that rabbit hole.

 

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from somewhere behind them. It was like tumbling rocks and angry horses racing down the road. Duck glanced at Indrid, who had stopped walking. Duck went back to him.

 

“What are you doing? We have to go,” Duck insisted.

 

“Duck, do you trust me?” Indrid asked.

 

“I— yeah, I mean, I… yeah,” Duck answered. Indrid was looking into his eyes, into his soul, and Duck hoped he liked what he was seeing.

 

“Okay, good. Can you promise me that you won’t follow me? Keep going, get to safety, and do not under any circumstances get close to it,” Indrid continued. He took Duck’s hands in his own. .His grip was loose, but he was effectively holding Duck in place.

 

“I can— what are you going to do?” Duck asked. Indrid had just barely recovered from low blood sugar, of all things. How would he do against a monster that already got him once?

 

“Just promise me,” Indrid said, tightening his grip.

 

“I promise, but if you— if you get hurt I’m coming back for you,” Duck said.

 

“Only if I fall,” Indrid countered.

 

“Deal,” Duck said.

 

Then, quick as lighting, Indrid kissed Duck on the cheek. He let go of Duck’s hand and took off his glasses. 

 

“See you later, Duck.” 

 

And he flew off. He was a little unsteady, but he looked like he had recovered. Duck watched him go, still processing everything that had just happened. Indrid had kissed him. And he wanted Duck to run. And he was going to fight the monster by himself. Fuck. Duck started sprinting up the road. He could get to a safe distance and keep an eye on the battle.

 

Once Duck reached a particularly thick circle of trees, maybe a hundred yards or so from the beast, he turned back. He could see the abomination clearly. It looked like it had gained more mass, in the form of dirt and river-smoothed stones. Indrid was high above it, dipping down every few seconds with blasts of red light. It was weird; though Indrid and the monster both had red magic, there was a noticeable difference. The monster’s magic was like oozing flames, whereas Indrid’s spells were like sunbursts of focused light.

 

He was doing a good job of avoiding the abomination’s strikes, too. To be fair, it was telegraphing its moves far in advance, but it was still fast. Indrid was faster. Duck watched in awe as he dove through the beast’s outstretched arms and landed a shot right into its throat.

 

To sum it up, Indrid looked pretty badass.

 

Duck heard the telltale sounds of an engine. He looked up the road. It was Mama’s truck, and she was going fast. Duck clambered out of his tree fortress and waved her over. The tires squealed as she pulled up next to him. Aubrey was in the passenger seat, and she was rolling the window down.

 

“What the fuck is he doing?” Mama asked.

 

“I don’t— he wouldn’t let me stop him,” Duck shrugged. He knew if he showed how worried he was, it would only make things worse.

 

“Can you tell him to get in the car?” Aubrey interrupted.

 

Duck was already going. He had barely made it ten feet before Indrid swooped down to land in front of him. Duck opened his mouth, and then shut it. Indrid put his glasses back on. They stared at each other for a moment. Then someone in the truck slammed on the horn.

 

“Let’s go,” Duck said. 

 

He took Indrid’s hand and all but dragged him towards the truck. The abomination noticed that its prey had disappeared, and it would come after them soon. Duck opened the door and pushed Indrid inside. Indrid pulled Duck in, and Mama started driving before they shut the door.

 

“So, y’all wanna explain what happened?” Mama asked.

 

Duck glanced at Indrid. Indrid looked at him expectantly. Duck sighed and said, “We were scouting it from this hill near the Eastwood trail, and then it snuck up on us and attacked us. Indrid managed to fly us out of there, but it got his wing pretty bad.”

 

“Yes, but we got away, and we camped out for the night, thanks to Duck’s survival skills,” Indrid said, smiling gently. Duck looked down to hide his face. “We walked to the gas station to call you, and then left as quickly as we could.”

 

“Great. Did you do any damage?” Mama asked.

 

“Nothing notable. It’s a lot stronger than it was before,” Indrid said.

 

“Alright then,” Mama said, “Well, we’ll head back to the lodge and regroup. Put your seatbelts on.”

 

Duck realized that he and Indrid were huddled together in the middle of the backseat. He moved back into the window seat and clicked the seatbelt into place. Indrid did the same on the other side. Mama was driving well above the speed limit, so it was for the best.

 

The drive was long, and quiet. The classic rock station on the radio was playing softly. Duck kept looking at Indrid, and then out the window, and then back at Indrid. A few times, Indrid was looking back. Duck was still thinking about Indrid kissing him. Once they were alone, he had a lot of questions. Hopefully that would be soon.

 

When they pulled into the parking lot of Amnesty Lodge, Duck saw Ned’s weird van, as well as Stern’s grey sedan. He got out of the truck with everyone else and went inside. Indrid stayed close to him, and Duck didn’t know if he should hold his hand. Apparently being lost in the woods made you weirdly affectionate. He tried to ignore the impulse as everyone settled in the lobby.

 

“So what happened?” Ned asked immediately.

 

“It saw us before we saw it, and Indrid here got hurt so we couldn’t fly all the way back,” Duck explained for the second time. He knew it was important that everyone knew, but he was really looking forward to going home. And talking to Indrid, of course.

 

“Did you spend the night out there?” Ned replied incredulously.

 

“It wasn’t so bad,” Indrid said.

 

“It was kinda bad, Indrid, you nearly died,” Duck said.

 

“I was hibernating,” Indrid countered, “And you managed to warm me up so it was fine.”

 

Aubrey waggled her eyebrows at Duck from behind Indrid. Duck glared at her.

 

Mama interrupted, “I think we should let them rest. Indrid is injured, so I don’t want him going after this thing anyway.”

 

“Well, I think I should be fine now. I have a quick self-repair rate, so I think actually we should go right now,” Indrid said, leaning forward to stand. Duck frowned at him, but Indrid didn’t look back.

 

“I think you should rest,” Mama said more forcefully. Indrid leaned back wordlessly. “Me and Aubrey found some good information, so we’ll put all that together and call you when it’s time to go.”

 

“Alright. My truck is still at the trailhead, though, so I’ll need a ride,” Duck said.

 

“I’ll take you, I gotta stop by the Cryptonomica anyhow,” Ned volunteered.

 

“Great,” Duck said. He glanced at Indrid. He should ask Indrid to—

 

“Can I come with?” Indrid asked.

 

“Sure! The Cryptonomobile has plenty of seats,” Ned said.

 

“Please tell me you didn’t name your weird van the ‘Cryponomobile,’” Duck said.

 

“I did,” Ned said.

 

“Y’know what, I’ll walk,” Duck said.

 

“No you won’t,” Ned said.

 

“Fine,” Duck huffed exaggeratedly.

 

He followed Ned out to the car. Indrid trailed behind slightly. Now Duck really wanted to hold his hand, if only to make sure he didn’t suddenly disappear. It had happened before, right after the tree, so he didn’t want to take any chances. He went for it. Indrid tensed for a moment, but he let Duck cling to him. Duck was being clingy. He should stop. No, it was too late now. He was committing to it.

 

Somehow, Ned didn’t notice. Or if he did, he didn’t say anything. He just hopped into the driver’s seat. Duck got into the back, and Indrid followed him. The inside of the truck was a weird fusion of stakeout vehicle and lounge. There were no windows in the back, but it was furnished with two parallel leather benches that were bolted to the floor. And there were no seatbelts.

 

“Are you sure this is safe?” Duck asked.

 

“Yep! It’s perfectly fine,” Ned said. He started the car.

 

Luckily, this ride was shorter than the one before. Duck zoned out, staring at his and Indrid’s hands. He should let go. But if he did, it would be weird. But if he didn’t, it could also potentially be weird. Indrid barely moved at all. Duck couldn’t figure out how he was feeling. He really hoped that he wasn’t making things worse. Indrid had looked very ready to run away at the lodge.

 

Ned dropped Duck and Indrid off with a simple “See you later.” Duck led the way to his apartment. He unlocked the door and opened it, relishing in the familiar surroundings. Indrid was hesitant to enter, but Duck’s cat Winnie rushed over to him. Duck quickly stopped her from running out the door with his leg, eliciting a soft laugh from Indrid. The sound released the last of the tension in Duck’s shoulders.

 

“Nice cat,” Indrid said, shutting the door.

 

“Her name’s Winnie. She’s cute, but don’t let her fool you. She gets out like twice a week, and I gotta chase her around until she just waltzes back in. I gotta feed her, since I was gone yesterday,” Duck said. 

 

He took off his jacket and shoes and walked into the kitchen. Winnie followed him, rubbing on his legs. He opened the packet of wet food and emptied it into a dish for her. Indrid watched thoughtfully from the other side of the counter, but Duck didn’t feel self-conscious. He looked back at Indrid as he filled up Winnie’s water.

 

“So, Indrid, I got a few questions for you,” Duck started.

 

“I assumed you would,” Indrid replied vaguely.

 

Duck tried to decide the priority of his concerns. “Okay, well, number one: what was your deal at the lodge? I would say you were scared, but you were trying to go after the abomination.”

 

“I… I don’t think I can fully explain until I answer your other questions, but I think fear played into it a little bit,” Indrid said.

 

“Um, okay, then second question: are you okay? You’re acting all weird, and I mean, I get it. But I do wanna make sure you’re doing alright, after everything this past 24 hours,” Duck said. He set Winnie’s dish down and walked around to Indrid.

 

“Yes, Duck, I’m fine,” Indrid said. He gave an unconvincing smile. 

 

“Are you really, though? I mean, your wing might be better but I saw you pass out twice and it was terrifying,” Duck replied.

 

“Currently, I’m both warm and well-fed, and effectively healed, so I think I’m good,” Indrid said. This time, his smile was real.

 

Duck looked down at the floor. “Okay, and, um, last question: you kissed me?”

 

“Well, that’s more of a statement than a question, but I know what you mean,” Indrid said, “Yes, I did do that, and I did mean it, and I do like you, but I’m not a mind reader so I don’t—”

 

Duck interrupted him by pulling him into a kiss. Indrid made a surprised “oh” noise, but he was responsive to Duck’s touch. He put his hands on Duck’s shoulders, and Duck just about melted. The kiss was soft, because Duck was still scared he had somehow understood wrong, but Indrid pressed up to him and kissed him harder.

 

When Duck finally pulled away to breathe, he didn’t know what to say. He felt like he should say something deep and romantic, but he was drawing a blank. He just kept staring at Indrid, lost for words. 

 

Indrid smiled. “You should just kiss me again.”

 

Duck did so immediately. Indrid laughed a little bit, and Duck could feel the sound echo in his chest. This kiss was shorter, but just as good. Indrid pulled away first.

 

“I know you haven’t even thought about it yet, but I do want to clear any doubt from your mind. I did definitely like you before we were forced to survive in the woods together,” Indrid said.

 

“Yeah, come to think of it, I think I’ve liked you for a while too,” Duck said, “Speaking of surviving in the woods, though, I should probably take a shower.”

 

“Hmm,” Indrid replied. His arms tightened around Duck.

 

“No, come on, I smell,” Duck said, though he leaned into Indrid’s chest.

 

“I guess,” Indrid said. He let go of Duck, but he didn’t move. Duck kissed him again and then quickly stepped around him. Indrid gave a half-hearted attempt to stop him, but he was mostly just smiling. Duck smiled too. Maybe things weren’t going so bad.


End file.
